new family
by saphira e.sparrow
Summary: when Neal works too hard on a case will he find something he didnt know he had


Okay here's a new white collar which I still don't own DAMN

Neal's pov

I woke up to sound of my alarm going off. I have never hated being woken up more then these past few weeks. Peter and I have been pulling 24 hour shifts trying to catch a known art thief and killer. Known till now as the Reaper. he would steal a piece of art in broad daylight then if anyone got in his way on the way out he would shot them, and leave a picture of the grim reaper at the front door of the place he robbed.

We (really) wanted to get this guy and we were so close to getting him. but right now I couldn't so much as open my eyes, they were so tired...and my body felt so hot. I rarely get sick but when I do it's like my body is getting back at me for not going it as often. (This could not be happening) I thought

finally I managed to find the strength to open my eyes turn off my alarm and get out of bed. Now my body was freezing like someone had put me in a meat locker on high.

I have no idea how it happened but someone I got dressed and was out on the balcony having breakfast...well more like coffee and aspirin. I would probably throw up anything I tried to eat. But no matter how much I drink I was still dead tired and Peter was going to be here in about ten minutes.

It feels like all I did was blink and I'm in Peter's car on the way to work. He too looks tired but looks happy. "I think if we really focus today we can finally nail this son of a bitch. And just in time to El's been great but she's almost at the limit the dog too," he says. The guy we're trying to catch is outside Peter's jurisdiction. So what we've been going is looking for proof that he is the Reaper then send it to the guys that get him. But at Peter's comment on El my heart thuds in guilt. I cant tell how half the things I've done this morning have happened, focus right now is next to impossible. And I hate it when I feel like I let him down.

So I don't tell him I feel like complete crap. I just shut up and try to focus on the evidence in front if me. Peter of course notices my quietness but writes it off as me wanting to catch this guy, he's not totally wrong.

about around lunch my head feels like it has a jackhammer a chorus of drums and an earthquake going on at the same time, and I can barely keep my eyes open. I know there's some aspirin in the break room, so as to keep up the illusion I'm fine I give the excuse that I have to go to the bathroom. Peter and I are the only ones in the conference room everyone else has either gone a break or at there desks. Peter says that's fine with him he needs more coffee anyway. But no sooner do I step toward the door does blackness cloud my vision and I slip away.

In my dream I'm back at Avery's vault. I've already past out from lack of oxygen. But this time Peter doesn't try to save me. After Avery and Reed are arrested Jones comes back and asks what they were going to do with me. Peter answered in disgust, "who cares he was just a pet con." I felt like someone repeatedly plunged an ice cycle into my heart. I could take the glares and that unwanted nickname from anyone one else because they didn't matter. As long as Peter believed in me I would be okay. Now the one guy I trusted more then anyone just said I was nothing to him.

I jolted awake but had to fall back against my pillow because of the pain in my head. "Neal? Are you okay?" came a hushed voice (oh kill me) I know that voice. I slowly opened my eyes to see a worried Peter staring at me. "I was beginning to wonder if I should wake you up. You looked like you were having a nightmare." I just stared at him the nightmare still fresh in my mind. I know its stupid to think Peter would never say something like that but it seemed so real. "why didn't you tell me you were sick?" instead of answering him I croaked out my own question.

"do you think of me as a pet con?" right now I blame my fevered head and my exhausted body because I wad tearing up a little. Peter looked ate in shock, "is that what your nightmare was about me calling you that?" I nodded my head. He reached out and started ruffling my hair. "No kid I don't think of you as that. You can be a pain but your to much like family to me." now it was my turn to look at him shocked. Family? I hadn't had one of those since my own died.

"You think of me as family?" "Why not? I get the my-kid-strake-out look when you something I don't like so..." he trailed off with a shrug. "Yeah your family kid." he smiled at me then it fell "why didn't you tell me you were so tired today?" "Because we were so close, I would feel guilty if I balled out now, and if we finished you wouldn't spend so much time away from El." I said waiting for the anger but he just kept ruffling my hair. "next time just tell me ill understand," at my look he corrects himself," or El will kick me out for not doing It."

now that my feverish brain had cooled down I realized that we weren't in my room at Junes, we were in the guest room at Peters. Who noticed my staring and said, "El would also kill me if she found out I had just let you alone at Junes when you were really sick." "Darn right I would," comes El's voice from the door. She had a glass of water and a bottle if aspirin. Satchamo came over nosing my hand and wagging his tail when I scratched his ears. "Glad you're feeling better Neal, but should get some more rest. Like someone else who's not in bed," she said with a glare in Peters direction as he tried to snick out the door. After taking the aspirin my head started to get fuzzy with sleep again. I fell into a peaceful sleep knowing my family was making sure I was okay


End file.
